Wells Trecaso Financial Group LLC Makes New $221,000 Investment in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Wells Trecaso Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 378 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $221,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 38.8% in the 3rd quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 10,307 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,026,000 after acquiring an additional 2,879 shares during the period. Boston Financial Mangement LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC now owns 8,336 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,874,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $220,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 36.6% during the 3rd quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC now owns 16,915 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $9,866,000 after purchasing an additional 4,533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orrstown Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 59.8% during the 3rd quarter. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,721 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,760,000 after purchasing an additional 1,767 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on UNH. Stephens decreased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $632.00 to $605.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $597.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $675.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $625.00 target price (down previously from $640.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $591.00 to $644.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $615.53.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE UNH opened at $565.46 on Tuesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $436.38 and a fifty-two week high of $608.63. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $583.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $539.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market cap of $522.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.58.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.00 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $100.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.14 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.37% and a net margin of 3.63%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.56 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th were paid a $2.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 16th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.49%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 54.72%.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.